Cap for collapsible tube



Nov. 5, 1957 v J. N. MAGOVERN 2,812,122

CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE Filed March 19, 1956 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 2,812,122 I CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE John N. Magovern, Agawam, Mass.

Application March 19, 1956, Serial No. 572,512 1 Claim. or. 222-558) This invention relates to. new and useful improvements in dispensing cap means forvcollapsible tubes such as are used for tooth paste, shaving cream and the like.

The principal object of the invention is directed to the provision of a two-part device consisting of a body and a closure. The body is adapted-for securement to the neck of a collapsible tube. The closure is arranged for swinging between open and closed positions on the body so that, in open position, material may be dispensed from the discharge outlet of the body.

The body and closure are so formed that, the closure may be readily assembled and disassembled by manual manipulation and without the necessity of mechanical means, and that, in assembled relation, the closure is freely swingable on the body between open and closed positions thereof.

The body is formed to fit on the ordinary form of collapsible tube, such as the screw threaded neck thereof. If desired, the body may have any desired form of neck receiving socket.

In the preferred form of the invention, the body and closure will be moulded from plastic for economy in manufacture, but it is not desired to be limited thereby.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side, front, elevational and plan views respectively of the body of the invention;

Figs. 4 and 5, are side elevational views of the closure of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 66 of Fig. 8; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are side elevational views of the body associated with a collapsible tube with the closure in open and closed positions respectively.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The body of the invention is generally represented by 2 and has an upper portion 4 and a lower portion 6 provided with a threaded bore 8 for receiving the threaded neck of a collapsible tube and for securement therewith.

Opposite sides of the upper portion 4 of the body are provided with guideways 10 having upper and lower sides which converge to trunnion sockets 12.

The front and upper surfaces 14 and 16 respectively of the portion 4 of the body are formed on the arc of a circle having a center on the centers of the sockets 12.

The body 2 has a channel 18 therein which is in communication with the neck socket 8 and a discharge outlet thereof is shown at 20. 7

With the body associated with a tube, material therein may be dispensed from the outlet 20.

The channel 18 and outlet 20 may take any shape desired.

The closure of the invention is generally represented by 26 and is formed to have transversely spaced side arms 28 and a transverse closure wall 30 connected thereto.

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Trunnions 32 are provided on the inner sides of the free ends of the arms 28.

The closure will preferably be formed from plastic of such a character that the side arms 28 are yieldable or springlike.

In assembling the closure and body, the trunnions 32 of the closure are moved along the guideways 10 in the sides of the body 2 so that said trunnions are guided into the sockets 12. The sockets are slightly deeper than the guideways so that the resiliency of the arms snaps the trunnions from inner ends of the guideways into the sockets 12. 4

By means of the trunnions and sockets, the closure is pivoted for oscillating between open and closed positions.

A rib 34 of the closure is provided for manual engagement.

In Figs. 7 and 8, the body of the device is shown as associated with the neck N of a tube T. In Fig. 7, the closure is shown in open position and is shown in closed position in Fig. 8.

The inner side of the wall 30 of the closure is arranged to lie rather closely to the curved surface of the body so that the outlet is closed off properly in the closed position of the closure.

The fit between the said wall and the curved surface is not such as to exert a drag on the swinging movements of the closure.

The upper rear end of the upper surface of the body as at 36 may be non-curving so as to function as a stop for the closure to prevent swinging thereof clockwise off the upper portion of the said body. A stop may be provided in other ways, if desired.

It will be noted that the closure and upper surface of the body are so formed that the closure is readily swingable between open and closed positions for opening and closing the outlet. As a special feature of the invention, the body is provided on opposite sides with elongated guideways tapering inwardly to aligned sockets. The closure has transversely spaced side arms which are relatively yieldable or resilient, which side ar-ms have journals. The closure is assembled with the body by passing the journals along the guideways and, as the journals reach the sockets, they snap thereinto whereby the closure is swinga'bly connected to the body. The guideways guide the journals into sockets so that assembly is readily and easily accomplished.

While but one general form of the invention is indicated in the drawings, it is not desired to limit this invention to such construction, other than limited by the prior art, as it is to be appreciated that other forms may be made that would employ the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A two-part dispensing device for the upper threaded outlet neck of a collapsible tube comprising in combination, a body and a closure, said body having an upper portion and a lower portion, said lower portion provided with an upper surface and having a threaded bore in the lower side thereof for screwing the body onto the threaded neck of a collapsible tube, said upper portion of the body having transversely spaced flat and parallel opposite side faces and a rear face therebetween extending vertically upwardly from the uppersurface of said body and a front face, said opposite side faces provided with aligned inwardly extending cylindrical sockets having horizontal axes spaced above and adjacent the upper surface of said lower portion of the body and adjacent and inwardly of said rear face of the upper portion thereof, said front face being transversely flat and having a lower portion extending upwardly vertically from the upper surface of said lower portion and an intermediate portion curving upwardly and rearwardly therefrom on the arc of a circle having an axis on the axes of said sockets to an upper portion disposed vertically upwardly of said axes and inclining rearwardly and slight ly upwardly from said point to a termination at the upper end of the rear face, the opposite side faces of said 'upper provided with horizontally disposed trunnion guideway grooves extending rearwardly from the vertical portion of the front face of said upper portion of the body to said sockets and having upper and lower sides relatively converging to said sockets with inner ends of said grooves terminating in said sockets, said closure having an outer transverse closure wall to overlie the front face of the upper portion of the body and transversely spaced side arms extending inwardly therefrom whichare provided with upper and lower relatively converging edges and terminating at inner ends in aligned cylindrical trunnions extending inwardly from said Inner ends towards one another, said side arms being relatively springlike and yieldable whereby with the trunnions entered in outer ends of the guideways said trunnions are guided therebyand snap into the sockets as the closure is pressed towards the front face of said upper portion ofthe body for swinging of the closure from lower open to upper closed position over the upper portion of said front face, an inner face of the outer wall of the closure being complimental to the curving portion of the front face to closely overlie and slide relative to said front face, said upper portion of the body having a passageway extending upwardly from said threaded bore having an upper outlet through the upper portion of said front face thereof arranged to be closed by the wall of the closure in the closed position thereof, and the upper rear termination of the front face of the upper portion adjacent the upperend of said rear face arranged as a stop engageable by said closure to limit movement thereof to its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,867,182 Sicault July 12, 1932 2,286,916 Loomis June 16, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 224,636 Great Britain Nov. 20, 1924 56,042 Norway Jan. 6, 1936 

